"i recently moved into a loft in downtown los angeles with zero closet space. the pax system was my first choice, but once I sat down and added up all i wanted, it was just too much to spend on a rental.
so i bought the cheapy kullen wardrobe (pic, left) and painted it a high gloss white. i used an oil based sign painters enamel called "one shot" (since i had a gallon of it lying around). once the wardrobe was sanded i filled the handle holes with spackle and rolled two coats of paint on it. the paint is great! it gives a very smooth but tough glossy enamel finish. plus it sticks really well to the veneer.
i drilled new handle holes and changed the handles to the lansa 9 5/8" handles. i love them!
i was so happy with how it turned out that i built a tv stand from some MDF i had cut at the home depot and four casters. i painted it with the one shot paint to match the wardrobe, and will eventually put a long door on the front that flips down with a lansa handle.
although it still is a work in progress, and not an extreme ikea hack, i think it turned out better than expected. if only i can figure out how to get rid of the gap between the two large doors."
The gap can be narrowed by adjusting the hinge. If you don't know how to do this then go to a Home Depot, find a euro hinge similar to the hardware that comes from Ikea and ask them to show you how to adjust the hinge.
ReplyDeleteLooks great! To get rid of the gap between the doors you could affix a small strip of wood along the edge of one of the doors. This door would have to be the first door closed so the other could close on top of it but it would be an easy way to eliminate the gap.
ReplyDeleteI have this excellent piece of cheap furniture myself (unhacked). It's easy to get rid of the gap if you put some effort into adjusting the hinges.
ReplyDeleteUnscrew the central shiny screw that holds the door hinge a couple of turns. Then tighten the black adjustment screw. Repeat with all hinges until the doors ar snug and straight.
Love the white paint and new door handles you came up with. Made this cheap piece look real nice. Best wishes with the door adjustment from me, way up north in IKEAs home country...
Try a cool color of felt to attach to the sides of the doors, like orange on white.
ReplyDeleteyou probably checked this but I know that the kitchen cabinets have a screw in the hinge that allows you to adjust the placement of the door and therefore adjust the gap. On the kitchen ones its the dark screw towards the front of the cabinet I think. (I've found that using an electric screwdriver with an adjustable clutch lessens the chance of stripping the screw too).
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! Now more space can be fully utilized without wasting it. I like the idea of painting the wooden cupboard with glossy white.Better than spending a huge sum to get one. But, it's not easy to find a fantastic furniture to match. But hereare some tips that i find useful!
ReplyDeleteWe also have the same wardrobe. I just wanted to know if anyone has any idea on how to take off and re-attach the hanger pole. I am thinking of removing the shelves and adding another pole below to put more stuff to hang. thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea painting it, I need two wardrobes and was going to get some more expensive ones, but I don't really like them. Just googled to see if it were possible to paint theseones and you have anwsered my qustion! Sweet off to Ikea now and making a £180 saving!!
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